Miss Buncle's Book by D. E. Stevenson

TITLE:  Miss Buncle's Book (Miss Buncle #1)

AUTHOR:  Stevenson, D. E. 
GENRE:  Fiction

DATES READ:  7/7/2016 - 7/13/2016

MY RATING:  3.5/5

My boyfriend picked this book out for me!  Bringing it along to SC with hopes of reading.

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This was such a cute concept, and so ahead of its time!  A book within a book, within another book!!!  A how it causes so much turmoil!

I did adore this book about a quaint English village, a heroine named Barbara Buncle, and an antagonist names Ms. Agatha Featherstone-Hogg.  You can't really go wrong there!

The writing took some getting used to.  But it was originally published in the 1930's after all.  A charming tale about misconceptions and how looks (and books) can be deceiving... something the best characters are real people, you know.

Recommended for any book lover.

Will read and write as soon as I can!

***Photo by B. Bumble***

The Traveling Tea Shop by Belinda Jones

TITLE:  The Traveling Tea Shop (Love Travel #11)

AUTHOR:  Jones, Belinda
GENRE:  Fiction/Chick-lot

DATES READ:  7/6/2016 - 7/7/2016

MY RATING:  3/5

This another one my mom and I picked out to bring along for vacation pool-reading. 

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A naive travel agent/blogger, a sad housewife/TV celebrity, a kooky grandma, and a pouty teenager/20 something.  Throw them all into the United States (did I mention they're British? I pip!) on a double-decker bus and get them all to talk about baking/cake.  And there's your chick-lit.

Fun, fluffy (like cake!), and definitely a breezy beachy read that made me hungry by the pool.  Recommended for a lazy read in the sunshine.

Will read and write as soon as I can!

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Raise the Titanic! by Clive Cussler

TITLE:  Raise the Titanic! (Dirk Pitt #3)

AUTHOR:  Cussler, Clive
GENRE:  Fiction

DATES READ:  7/2/2016 - 7/6/2016

MY RATING:  5/5

I've heard about this one for years from both my mom and my brother.  Brought it along for vacation to read down by the pool with a nice cup of coffee. 

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Raise the Titanic! does exactly what it set out to do.  Bring to life a mystery, and bring to the surface perhaps the most famous shipwreck of all time.

LOVED THIS!!! I could picture every single moment in vivid detail!  And doesn't love Dirk Pitt?!

I admit, this probably amounts to my obsession with all thing Titanic.  This book does a good job bringing that fascination to life, with action and adventure.  Definitely recommended to anyone who loves a good Clive Cussler.  This is definitely my favorite Dirk Pitt novel so far!

Will read and write as soon as I can!

***Photo by B. Bumble***

The Stand by Stephen King

TITLE:  The Stand

AUTHOR:  King, Stephen
GENRE:  Horror

DATES READ:  5/3/2016 - 7/2/2016

MY RATING:  4/5

It's been almost 3 months since my last King, so it's about time! 

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The Stand is a post-apocalyptic tale of the good and evil within people.  A contagious virus wipes out the majority of the population, leaving what's left of humanity to succumb to a dark evil, or to take a stand...

I will say, it's been a long time since I've had a book take me almost 2 whole months to finish...  I actually had to drag this 1400+ page monster onto a plane with me to my South Carolina vacation (I brought other books because I was optimistic!).

It is truly an epic story with simple chilling themes.  I pictures all of the characters so vividly (and for the record... Molly Ringwald is not my Fran).  I could see Stu and Nick so clearly in my mind.  Even Harold Lauder (I can't stand him!!!), and the creepy white haired Nadine.  I appreciated the sinister Dark Man, and my personal favorites: Trashcan Man and Tom Cullen!

M-O-O-N.  That spells - I'm finally done with the unabridged version of this well-loved Stephen King masterpiece.  A must read for die-hard King fans.  I would probably stick with the abridged version unless you're up for a long haul...

Will read something different and write soon!

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Zeroes by Scott Westerfeld et al.

TITLE:  Zeroes (Zeroes #1)

AUTHOR:  Westerfeld, Scott; Lanagan, Margo; Biancotti, Deborah
GENRE:  Science Fiction

DATES READ:  4/17/2016 - 5/3/2016

MY RATING:  2/5

This book follows a group of unlikely heroes, or Zeroes.  Teens who are still learning to understand their abilities and what they mean for the greater good... or evil.

The ending of this book really held me attention, but I kept getting dragged under by the YA angst and juvenile language.  I found myself not caring about certain characters, and I couldn't get a gauge on their ages or personalities (which is important to me, as you know...).

I guess I really like Anonymous because I understood his power, and the struggles that can with it, the most.  But the rest didn't really interest me.  Crash was okay too.

Overall, it was enjoyable to read, and reminded me a little of Animorphs, without the cube.  Recommended for a YA audience who likes superheroes.  May read the sequel.  Not really sure yet.

Will read and write...

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The House of Velvet and Glass by Katherine Howe

TITLE:  The House of Velvet and Glass

AUTHOR:  Howe, Katherine
GENRE:  Fiction

DATES READ:  4/8/2016 - 4/17/2016

MY RATING:  3/5

I got this book because I loved The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Howe.  So we'll see how this one goes... 

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This book was based in Boston's Back Bay in the early 1900's.  It switches seamlessly back in time between colonial Shanghai, and the deck of the fated Titanic.  A mourning Sybil Allston must discover whether she's seeing the truth within the crystal ball, and just smoke and mirrors.

Overall, I loved the characters within The House of Velvet and Glass, but in a weird way, I felt it was lacking plot.

The settings and time periods were they saving grace, among unique characters that the ability to jump off of the pages.  Eulah and Sibyl were both intriguing.  But overall, I feel they don't go anywhere, and nothing changes.

I think my character arc was Lonnie.  I would love to read a whole story about him and his life.  This book was good but I will stick with Deliverance Dane.

Will read and write...

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The Magicians by Lev Grossman

TITLE:  The Magicians (The Magicians #1)

AUTHOR:  Grossman, Lev
GENRE:  Fiction/Fantasy

DATES READ:  3/19/2016 - 4/8/2016

MY RATING:  2.5/5

I heard that this book series is actually going to be a series on the SyFy channel, and I'm really excited to read it.  I wanted to make sure to read it before I watch it, so my boyfriend bought it for me.  :-)

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Quentin Coldwater is the predictable over-achiever, who ends up in the most unpredictable situation.  While figuring out what he wants to do with the rest of his life after high school, he stumbles onto an adventure and an admittance to a secret magical college.  This is no Harry Potter story...

I have to admit, I loved absolutely everything about this book, except for the main character!  What a jerk!!!

He was just another grumpy whiner.  "Wah... I have to do magic... wah... I get to go to a magical land... WAH!!!"  I mean, I get that he's a teenager, but come on.  Do they have to hate everything?!  Even mythical lands, and magic, and adventures?  Such a burden...  What a turd.

Overall, the story and descriptions were very cool.  If it weren't for Quentin, I might actually enjoy this book.  The magic methods seemed more realistic and raw than in other stories I've read.  The magical college, Brakebills, was fascinating.  But overall, there were too many "what's the point" passages that left my eyes rolling...

Recommended for someone who wants to try to feel bad for a whiny part-sociopath brat.

Will read and write soon!

***Photo by B. Bumble***